Explore the latest books of this year!
Bookbot

Todd Strasser

    Todd Strasser masterfully explores the complexities of adolescence and the search for identity. His narratives frequently capture pivotal moments in young lives, delving into their internal struggles and external pressures. He paints vivid portraits of his settings and eras, from the tumultuous sixties to contemporary challenges. Strasser's writing is incisive, prompting readers to contemplate their own place in the world and the forces that shape them.

    Todd Strasser
    Give a Boy a Gun: 20th Anniversary Edition
    The Beast of Cretacea
    Price of Duty
    Is that an Angry Penguin in Your Gym Bag?
    Can't Get There from Here
    If I Grow Up
    • 2021

      The Good War

      • 192 pages
      • 7 hours of reading
      3.5(210)Add rating

      From the author of The Wave comes a poignant and timely novel about a group of seventh graders who are brought together--and then torn apart--by an afterschool club that plays a video game based on WW2.There's a new afterschool club at Ironville Middle School.Ms. Peterson is starting a video game club where the students will playing The Good War, a new game based on World War II.They are divided into two teams: Axis and Allies, and they will be simulating a war they know nothing about yet. Only one team will win. But what starts out as friendly competition, takes an unexpected turn for the worst when an one player takes the game too far.Can an afterschool club change the way the students see eachother...and how they see the world?By using a gaming lens to explore the students' entr�e to prejudice and radicalization, he succeeds in lending immediacy and accessibility to his cautionary tale.--Kirkus Reviews

      The Good War
    • 2020

      “[H]aunting and harrowing.” —Booklist (starred review) “Vivid, distressing, and all too real.” —Kirkus Reviews In this 20th anniversary edition of Todd Strasser’s gut-wrenching and critically acclaimed Give a Boy a Gun, two boys bring guns to school in search of revenge against their classmates. For as long as they can remember, Brendan and Gary have been mercilessly teased and harassed by the jocks who rule Middletown High. But not anymore. Stealing a small arsenal of guns from a neighbor, they take their classmates hostage at a school dance. In the panic of this desperate situation, it soon becomes clear that only one thing matters to Brendan and Gary: revenge. This special 20th anniversary edition includes updated backmatter and statistics on school shootings—a topic that is now more relevant than ever.

      Give a Boy a Gun: 20th Anniversary Edition
    • 2019

      Summer of '69

      • 384 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      3.9(480)Add rating

      Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous era, this novel explores the author's teenage years, offering a vivid and psychedelic journey through the challenges and experiences of youth. With a blend of nostalgia and adventure, it captures the essence of growing up during a transformative period, inviting readers to reflect on their own formative experiences.

      Summer of '69
    • 2018

      Price of Duty

      • 192 pages
      • 7 hours of reading
      4.0(464)Add rating

      Exploring the struggles and sacrifices of war, this gripping novel delves into the true essence of heroism. Through the experiences of its characters, it examines the profound impact of conflict on individuals and the heavy toll it takes on those who serve. The narrative promises to engage readers with its emotional depth and thought-provoking themes, reflecting on the complexities of bravery and the human condition in times of strife.

      Price of Duty
    • 2015

      The Beast of Cretacea

      • 414 pages
      • 15 hours of reading
      4.0(286)Add rating

      A futuristic reimagining of "Moby Dick" finds young Ishmael awakening aboard a ship on an unpolluted faraway planet where he harvests resources for a depleted Earth before witnessing his captain's growing obsession with a great sea creature.

      The Beast of Cretacea
    • 2015
    • 2015

      Fallout

      • 272 pages
      • 10 hours of reading
      3.8(100)Add rating

      “Combines terrific suspense with thoughtful depth. . . . Riveting.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In the summer of 1962, the possibility of nuclear war is all anyone talks about. But Scott’s dad is the only one in the neighborhood who actually builds a bomb shelter. When the unthinkable happens, neighbors force their way into the shelter before Scott’s dad can shut the door. With not enough room, not enough food, and not enough air, life inside the shelter is filthy, physically draining, and emotionally fraught. But even worse is the question of what will — and won’t — remain when the door is opened again.

      Fallout
    • 2013
    • 2013

      The Wave. Die Welle, englische Ausgabe

      • 144 pages
      • 6 hours of reading
      3.7(237)Add rating

      This novel dramatizes an incident that took place in a California school in 1969. A teacher creates an experimental movement in his class to help students understand how people could have followed Hitler. The results are astounding. The highly disciplined group, modeled on the principles of the Hilter Youth, has its own salute, chants, and special ways of acting as a unit and sweeps beyond the class and throughout the school, evolving into a society willing to give up freedom for regimentation and blind obedience to their leader. All will learn a lesson that will never be forgotten.

      The Wave. Die Welle, englische Ausgabe
    • 2012

      Kill You Last

      • 223 pages
      • 8 hours of reading
      3.6(63)Add rating

      When three teenage clients of her fashion photographer dad go missing, Shelby's near perfect life crumbles when her dad is named a prime suspect in the girls' disappearance.

      Kill You Last